Buy local — and give back — with UC Berkeley’s 2021 holiday gift guide
Whether you're searching for a unique gift by a local artist or you want to support those in need this holiday season, UC Berkeley has what you're looking for — and everything in between
November 29, 2021
Whether you’re searching for a unique gift by a local artist or you want to support those in need this holiday season, UC Berkeley has what you’re looking for — and everything in between. Stop by the Berkeley Art Studio’s pop-up shop for handcrafted ceramics or visit the campus’s thrift store ReUSE for gifts on a budget. Pick up a succulent at the UC Botanical Garden’s plant deck or check out the newest books by our faculty. Donate to Cal Nourish, which helps feed Berkeley students who struggle to make ends meet during the winter, or support the upcoming construction of mak-’amham/Café Ohlone at the Hearst Museum. And don’t forget to show your school spirit by grabbing some Cal gear at the Cal Student Store. See a campus map for directions.
Handmade crafts
The Berkeley Art Studio’s annual holiday pop-up shop is open Dec. 3 to 12 from noon to 5 p.m.
Art studio pop-up shop: Stop by the Berkeley Art Studio’s annual holiday pop-up shop to peruse a selection of Bay Area artists’ handcrafted items, from ceramics to yard signs to jewelry. All proceeds benefit local artists and the art studio. Open Dec. 3 to 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Closed Dec. 5.
MLK Jr. Building, 2495 Bancroft Way, third floor, [email protected]
Moffitt Library’s Makerspace: Make bespoke gifts for the special people in your life at Moffitt Library’s Makerspace, with its tools, materials and helpful support. Learn more about the Makerspace, including its hours and directions for getting there, and find tutorials, patterns and templates to guide and inspire you. Open through Dec. 16 from 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Maximum occupancy is six. Make an appointment to reserve a space or receive focused assistance.
Moffitt Library, Media Resources Center, first floor, [email protected]
Eco-friendly and nature-inspired
The UC Botanical Garden shop and plant deck are open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
UC Botanical Garden shop and plant deck: Peruse a curated selection of homegoods, from wildflower vintage puzzles and bee socks to cactuses and succulents, at the garden’s shop and plant deck. You can purchase presents in person or order online. Open every day from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed the first and third Tuesdays of every month.
200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, [email protected], (510) 664-7606
Winter conifers virtual tour: Join the UC Botanical Garden on a virtual tour of its collection of conifer trees, from firs to pines, where you’ll learn about the unexpected origins, distinguishing features and unique uses of the winter plants. The event is free to members and $5 for non-members. Donations welcome. Dec. 7 from 3 to 4 p.m. Register online.
200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, [email protected], (510) 664-7606
Tree planting event: Join Berkeley Haas in planting trees in the Richmond community to create awareness and take responsibility for the waste, compost and recycling that the campus hauls to Richmond. More trees in the community will sequester carbon, increase canopies and support the health of Richmond residents. Dec. 5 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Register online.
Richmond Materials Recovery Facility 101, Pittsburg Ave., Richmond
Find a gift on a budget at ReUSE, the campus’s student-run nonprofit thrift store.
ReUse: Find a gift on a budget at ReUse, the campus’s student-run nonprofit thrift store, where everything from clothing to electronics are $3 or less. You can also donate warm clothing — jackets, sweaters, scarves, hats and gloves — for those in need this holiday season. If you have clothing you need repaired, bring in your items to the ReUse repair clinic two weeks before winter break starts. Open through Dec. 10 and will open again in January. See a schedule for up-to-date ReUSE hours.
MLK Jr. Building, first floor, 2495 Bancroft Way, plus several other ReUSE drop-off and pick-up stations throughout campus, [email protected], [email protected]
Planet Renu: Help the campus reach its goal of phasing out single-use plastics with a zero waste gift at Planet Renu, where you can find plastic-free items, eco-gift sets and organic refills on shampoo, conditioner, lotion, soap, cleaner, stain remover, toothpaste and sunscreen. Open Dec. 3 from noon to 5 p.m. Everything is 20% off. Regular hours start Jan. 18.
Eshleman Hall lobby, 2465 Bancroft Way, [email protected]
Support and donate
mak-’amham/Cafe Ohlone at UC Berkeley: Support the construction and development of mak-’amham/Cafe Ohlone in a new location in the courtyard of the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. The new cultural space — coming in 2022 — will be a hub for Ohlone culture in the East Bay. In the meantime, enjoy a Sunday Supper by picking up a dinner for two on Dec. 19 or sign up for a monthly subscription or a seasonal subscription or purchase a gift card. mak-’amham is also available for catering, talks and discussions to foster better understanding of Ohlone culture. Watch a conversation with the founders of Cafe Ohlone, Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, and UC Berkeley professor Kent Lightfoot, about establishing an Ohlone presence at Berkeley.
Basic Needs Center: Help provide food, housing and financial security needed by students to thrive at Berkeley by supporting the Basic Needs Center, which is committed to fostering belonging and justice on campus. The center’s resources include a food pantry and diaper bank, peer counseling, a financial wellness program, emergency housing, legal services and more. Open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Food pantry closed for winter break beginning Dec. 18.
Khwaga Ghani is the first fellow in an ambitious program, co-sponsored by UC Berkeley, to support Afghan refugees. (Photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)
Afghan scholars at risk: Support at-risk Afghan journalists, lawyers and other academics — especially women — and their family members who must flee Afghanistan, now controlled by the Taliban. Started by UC Berkeley’s Human Rights Center, in partnership with San Jose State’s Human Rights Institute and the UC Berkeley Afghan Student Association, this fund supports legal and visa fees, travel and modest stipends. The fund’s first scholar, Khwaga Ghani, arrived at UC Berkeley in November.
Cal Nourish: Give the gift of food by donating to Cal Nourish, a campus initiative that helps feed Berkeley students who struggle to make ends meet during the winter curtailment. Donations will be distributed to undergraduate and graduate students in programs across campus, including the Student Parent Center, Undocumented Student Program, Berkeley Hope Scholars and Underground Scholars.
Wellness and sports
Golden Bear tickets: To cheer on your favorite Cal sports team, pick up season tickets, from basketball and gymnastics to football and volleyball.
Buy tickets online or by phone (800) 462-3277
Cal youth programs and camps include skateboarding and gymnastics, among several other activities. (UC Berkeley photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)
Cal youth programs and camps: Sign up for Cal summer camps and year-round youth programs, which include gymnastics, martial arts, skateboarding and swim camps, plus themed day camps and outdoor programs. Registration for summer camps opens Jan. 31.
2301 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, [email protected], (510) 643-2267
Greater Good Toolkit: The Greater Good Toolkit, created by the Greater Good Science Center, includes 30 science-based practices for a meaningful life for wellness practitioners or people looking to bring more meaning and well-being into their lives. Also available are GGSC memberships, which offer access to research-based articles, videos, podcasts, books and courses that aim to help users achieve a more meaningful existence.
Twrl Milk Tea was founded by two Berkeley alumni and longtime friends, Pauline Ang (left) and Olivia Chen. (Twrl Milk Tea photo)
Twrl Milk Tea: Founded by two Berkeley alumni and longtime friends, Olivia Chen and Pauline Ang, Twrl Milk Tea is a plant-based, healthy alternative to the high-sugar and wildly popular boba tea. Order a Twrl Me Up Gift Box, a special edition variety 12-pack that comes with five postcards by indie women artists, or keep it simple with a 12-pack of the original black milk tea. The Cal community will receive 15% off with the code CAL15.
[email protected], (415) 942-0899
Rec Sports membership: Members of the Recreational Sports Facility have access to cardio equipment, weights and group exercise classes, as well as lap swim access at Spieker Pool and Golden Bear Recreation Center Pool. The RSF has a universal locker room, designed for people of all genders and abilities.
2301 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, [email protected], (510) 642-7796
De-stress fest: The holidays can be stressful, especially coupled with finals, so take a break and unwind between Dec. 6 and 17 from 11 a.m. and 1 p.m and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. by making a wreath, playing bingo or posing for a photo in a photobooth.
MLK Jr. Building, 2495 Bancroft Way, first and second floors
Clothing and Cal gear
Cal Falcons t-shirts and hoodies: Show your love for the campus’s very own resident peregrine falcon family — which has experienced its fair share of ups and downs these past few weeks — by purchasing a t-shirt or hoodie from the Cal Falcons team. Choose between falcons design one and design two. Proceeds will be split between the Cal Falcons fund, to support education, outreach and livestream maintenance, and Lindsay Wildlife Experience, where Berkeley’s male falcon, Grinnell, was recently hospitalized, rehabilitated and released. The fundraiser closes Dec. 2 at 9 p.m. PST, and items will arrive by Dec. 21.
The Othering and Belonging Institute has T-shirts and hoodies, mugs, totes and hand-drawn prints for sale at its online store.
Othering and Belonging Institute store: Find vivid hand-drawn prints about the risk and possibility of bridging, plus T-shirts, mugs and totes with the institute’s logo and designs at the Othering and Belonging Institute’s online store. Proceeds support the Othering and Belonging Institute, a center for scholarship, research, community partnerships and strategy dedicated to developing solutions to our world’s greatest challenges.
Cal Student Store: Find your favorite Cal gear, from a throw pillow and Berkeley Muppet T-shirt to a Cal hoodie and a silk woven tie, at the Cal Student Store. Not sure what to get? Digital gift cards are available. All sales help support student organizations and programs.
MLK Jr. Building, 2495 Bancroft Way, first and second floors, [email protected], (510) 229-4703
Performances
Cal Performances offers gift certificates that start at $10 and never expire.
Cal Performances: The largest performing arts presenter in Northern California, Cal Performances presents an expansive year-round lineup, from fan favorites Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo to performances and community workshops by artist-in-residence Angélique Kidjo, named one of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2021” by Time magazine. Cal Performances offers gift certificates, which start at $10 and never expire, as well as $60 flex passes to UC Berkeley students. Tickets are available online, by phone or in person at the ticket office. The ticket office will be closed Dec. 20 to Jan. 3.
101 Zellerbach Hall, #4800, Berkeley, [email protected], (510) 642-9988
Theater, Dance and Performance Studies: Pieces presented by the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance Studies span powerful dances that explore social issues to contemporary plays with diverse voices that aim to “teach performance as a mode of critical inquiry, creative expression and public engagement.” Buy tickets online, by phone or in person two hours before a performance.
[email protected], (510) 642-8827
Museums
Calendars, totes and art pouches are some of the items on sale at BAMPFA’s store.
Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) store: Find a gift for the cinephiles and art lovers in your life at BAMPFA’s store, where there’s everything from notecard collections of movie poster illustrations and a Garden of Birds calendar to New Time totes and Systems of Colors art pouches. BAMPFA memberships give museum-goers year-round access to exhibitions, discounted film tickets, plus deals at Bay Area stores, restaurants and cultural institutions. The museum and store will be closed Dec. 23 through Jan. 4.
2155 Center St, Berkeley, [email protected], (510) 642-0808
Lawrence Hall of Science store: Choose from a selection of science-themed gifts at the Lawrence Discovery Store, where there’s something for all ages, including science kits, like the Sunprint Kit developed by educators at the Lawrence Hall of Science, and a wide array of brainy books, robotics and puzzles. Learn more about the Lawrence Hall of Science.
1 Centennial Drive, Berkeley, (510) 642-1016
New books
Don’t Let It Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender and the Body (2021) is a collection of 12 deeply personal essays by Savala Nolan, director of Berkeley Law’s Thelton E. Henderson Center for Social Justice, who shares her experience of living between society’s most charged, politicized and polar spaces. Also, listen to Nolan read the audiobook.
Darwin and His Bears: How Darwin Bear and His Galápagos Friends Inspired a Scientific Revolution (2021) by Frank Sulloway, adjunct professor in psychology, reveals a crucial, yet little known, link that led to Darwin’s development of the theory of evolution.
Blue in Green (2021) by Chiyuma Elliott, associate professor of African American studies and acting director of the Arts Research Center, reveals through poetry the feeling of living in the shadow of catastrophe.
Atmospheres of Violence: Structuring Antagonism and the Trans/Queer Ungovernable (2021) by Eric Stanley, professor of gender and women’s studies, interrogates why, at a time when we’re told LGBT rights are advancing in the U.S., anti-trans violence continues to rise.
This Is Your Mind on Plants (2021) by Michael Pollan, professor of journalism, takes a deep look at three plant drugs — opium, caffeine and mescaline — and examines the human attraction to psychoactive plants. Also, listen to Pollan read the audiobook.
Ken Light: Course of Empire (2021) by Ken Light, professor of photojournalism, creates a portrait of the American social landscape — a complicated country in a complicated time — with photos taken in the past decade.
Contested Ground: How to Understand the Limits on Presidential Power (2021) by Daniel Farber, professor of law and faculty director of the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment, makes sense of the gaps and gray areas that fuel heated disputes about the limits of presidential authority.
Racial Resentment in the Political Mind (2021) by David Wilson, dean and professor of public policy at the Goldman School of Public Policy, and Darren Davis, professor at the University of Notre Dame, looks at how racial resentment, rather than racial prejudice alone, motivates a growing resistance among whites to improve the circumstances faced by racial minorities.
The Defiant Middle: How Women Claim Life’s In-Betweens to Remake the World (2021) by Kaya Oakes, continuing lecturer in College Writing, explores how women who don’t fit in are carving out new ways of being.
The Distance Cure: A History of Teletherapy (2021) by Hannah Zeavin, lecturer in English and history, examines psychotherapy across distance and time, from Freud’s treatments by mail to crisis hotlines, radio call-ins, chatbots and Zoom sessions.
Presumed Guilty: How the Supreme Court Empowered the Police and Subverted Civil Rights (2021) by Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law, presents a decades-long history of judicial failure in America.
Image Objects: An Archaeology of Computer Graphics (2021) by Jacob Gaboury, professor of film and media, examines how computer graphics transformed the computer from a calculating machine into an interactive medium, as seen through the histories of five technical objects.
For All/Para Todos (2021) by Alejandra Domenzain, program coordinator at the Labor Occupational Health Program, is a bilingual children’s story about a young girl named Flor who is driven to leave her country for the promise of a land called For All.
Czesław Miłosz: A California Life (2021) by Cynthia Haven is a biography about the late poet and thinker Czesław Miłosz, who was a professor in UC Berkeley’s Department of Slavic Language and Literatures from 1961 to 1978 and won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Love Dances: Loss and Mourning in Intercultural Collaboration (2021) by SanSan Kwan, associate professor and department vice chair of theater, dance and performance studies, explores global relationality within the realm of intercultural collaboration in contemporary dance.
The Rise and Demise of World Communism (2021) by George Breslauer, Professor of the Graduate School in the Department of Political Science, examines the evolution of communist states and discusses the future prospects for stability and prosperity of the five surviving communist states.
Cities for Life: How Communities Can Recover from Trauma and Rebuild for Health (2021) by Jason Corburn, professor of public health and of city and regional planning, and director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Development, shares lessons from three cities: Richmond, California; Medellín, Colombia; and Nairobi, Kenya.
Get Your Startup Story Straight (2022), by David Reimer, lecturer at Berkeley Haas, helps innovators improve their ideas and successfully launch them through the power of a narrative.
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race (2021) by Walter Isaacson is about Jennifer Doudna, a UC Berkeley biochemist who won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her co-development of CRISPR-Cas9, a genome editing breakthrough that has revolutionized biomedicine.